Frozen Sea
by Shakespearekitten
Summary: On a cold winter's day, Eren asks Armin a question. (can slightly be Eremin if you would like)


Eren had been unusually quiet today. It wasn't the first time Armin saw him like this, of course. The two boys had known each other for practically their whole lives. But silence like this never failed to make Armin feel concerned for his friend. And even now as they sat down on the steps that lead to another walkway, he couldn't help but start to worry that something was wrong—like he always did.

"Armin?"

Eren's voice startled Armin a bit after just sitting in silence for such a long time. His ears had adjusted to listening to the soft yet nipping cold winter breeze and the distant chatter of people walking along the streets, so hearing a voice so close to him call his name made him alert. He turned his face towards his friend.

Armin could just feel that the dark haired boy next to him was going to ask him something very serious. Why else would he decide to speak after staying so solemn and full of thoughts for so long? Armin felt his heart start to skip a beat after he finally replied with a "Hmm?"

Eren wasn't looking at him; he was concentrating on something that appeared too distant and out of his sight. His eyebrows furrowed slightly, then relaxed before he spoke again. "You know how you said that there's a huge body of water outside the walls called the sea?"

The blond felt relieved that this question wasn't as ominous as he thought it would be. But soon the relief was replaced with curiosity. Why was Eren thinking of the sea out of nowhere? Armin had mentioned it to him a few months before and thought he might have forgotten.

But why would Eren ask a question such as this? Of course Armin remembered teaching him about the sea, among other wonderful things that were just waiting to be explored by them—together. It made his whole body and heart warm up and his mind race at the thought. It made him feel happy and hopeful.

"Yes," Armin said. "What about it?"

Eren continued to look out at the unexciting and bare landscape of small houses, trees, and a very tall wall before them for just a few more moments.

"Do you think it freezes completely in the winter?" Eren paused before adding, "You know, like those rain puddles do."

_So that's why he kept staring at those little puddles earlier. _They were covered with a thin layer of frost that could be easily all would explain how Eren seemed to observe them for such a long time and wouldn't let Armin pull him along to continue walking. Armin tried not to smile when he recalled how cute he thought Eren looked when he could practically see the gears working in his mind. _He's been around me too much, _Armin thought.

"I'm not sure…" Armin shifted a bit in his spot, considering his next words. "The sea is really big, so it would take longer than the winter months to freeze the entire thing. It covers most of the earth after all…"

Eren nodded, not saying a word.

"But…I read that there are big chunks of thick ice called glaciers that sometimes float around the water!" Armin explained. "It has to be really cold for that to happen though; colder than it is here." He shivered a bit.

Eren tore his gaze from the world he lived in before him and faced Armin instead. "But do you think that it could?" He asked, his breath turning to fog as he spoke.

Armin could feel the other boy's warm breath hit his face with how close they were sitting, causing goose bumps to appear on his rosy cheeks. "I guess it could. We won't know until we get to see it ourselves!"

Eren's lips curved into a smile. "Right!" He stood up, and Armin could see those gears in his mind at work once again. "And then maybe the ice could be thick enough for us to walk on." He started walking along the edge of the step, his hands stretched at his side as if to balance himself in case he would slide. "We'd be walking on the sea! We could travel without a boat!"

Armin chuckled. "But our feet would freeze without wearing some really warm shoes! And we'd have to be sure not to slip or break through the ice—"

Eren looked down at the blond, grabbing his hand and pulling him up to his feet. "Don't worry about that yet, Armin. First, we have to worry about getting out of here and finding that frozen sea!"


End file.
